Fluid-clutch mechanism.



C. 'W. DODGE, JR. FLUID CLUTCH MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION 11L11D1DBG-11, 1907.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

SMR

UNrrED srnrnsrrnnr ernten.

CHARLES W. DODGE, JR., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN lFIERBFRI FARRELL, OF DENVER.

COLORADO. i

FLUID-CLUTCH MECHAN ISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led December 11, 1907.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 406,023.

kee and State of lViseonsin, have invented certaln new and useiul Improvements 1n Fluid-Clutch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The invention has for its object to provide simple, economical fluid-clutch mechanism by which a driven-shaft may be started from rest and gradually speeded to finally attain the same speed as a drive-shaft that has in the meantime been rotating at practically constant speed; said invention consisting in what is hereinafter particularly set 'forth with reference to the accompanying drawinOs and also hereinafter clailned.

ligure 1 of the drawings represents a partly sectional end elevation of a tluidclutch mcchanismin accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2, a partly sectional side elevation of said mechanism.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the drive-shaft of an engine, motor or other prime mover, and keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the same is a supportB of preferably annular form, which support may be the fly-Wheel ot an explosive-engine. Loose at one. end in av socket of the support B is a. driven-shaft C, alined with the drive-shaft, and keyed on or otherwise rigidly secured on the driven-sha ft is a gear D in mesh with one or more similar gears E, each of which turns on a stud l) of said support. Four gears E are herein shown and indicated at quarters of a circle, this being the preferable number vand arrangement of said gears. A pitman F connects each of gears E with a piston G reciprocative. in a cylinder H open at one end, and having its single head provided with an air-inlet and air-outlet. A preferably spring-controlled check-valve c governs the air-inlet, and a similar valve (I governs the air-outlet of the cylinder, which cylinder, the piston reciprocative therein and said valves combine to constitute a singleacting compressor, having said airoutlet thereot1 in communication, through'a pipe I, With a receiver J carried by the support B preferably circumferentially of the same.

Attached to the support B is a cylindrical casing K having an elbow e thereof connected, by a pipe j', with the receiver J. and an outlet-port g of the casing `s controlled by a slide-valve L connected by; link M with one arm ot a bell-crank lever )l in tulcrumconnection With a lateral bracket /1 of said support. Extending laterally from tht` other arm of the bell-crank lever is a pin v2f engaging a forked lug j of a collar O in sliding engagement with the drive-shaft A and a 'spline of same, this collar being provided with an annular groove engaged by a spanner-ring I that is connected by a link Q ivith a level' or other controlling device.

The valve L inthe position shown acts as a cut-oli' to prevent the escape oi air from the receiver J into which it is discharged from each of the compressors aforesaid, but if said valve be adjusted to fully uncover the port g of its casing K the air from leach compressor has unobstructed passage through said receiver and casing to atmosphere, the-valveadjustment in either' instance being effected as the result of a movement of the collar O in sliding engagement with the drive-shaft.

If the drive-shaft A be rotating and thedriven-shaft C at rest, the slide valve L will be adjusted to open the port ot' its casing K so as to not interfere with the escape of air discharged from the compressors into,the receiver J, during which time each gear E turns on `its own axis and rolls around the circumference of the gear D witlrvvhieh it. is meshed to thereby impart reciprocation to the piston G of the relative compressor. Now supposing the slide-valve is adjusted to close the port of its casing, the escape ot' air from the receiver J is cut-oil, and as the support B continues to rotate, air from cach compressor is discharged into said receiver, the pressure therein gradually increasing. Owing to this increase of pressure in the receiver J, a greater pressure must be exerted by keach piston G to force air from its companion cylinder H into said receiver. the resultbeing that each of the gears E exerts a continually increasing force tending to rotate the gear D and driven-shaft C to which it is rigidly secured.- This continues until the turning effort on the gear l) is sutfcientI to overcome its resistance to said vgears E, at which time these gears and the one D become Fixed with respect to each other andthe rotary support B, the pistons r cease to reciprocate and the driven-shaft tti is running at the same speed as the driveshaft, said driven-shaft havin started from rest and gradually attained vits full speed without jar or appreciable diminution of speed of said drive-shaft.

I claim: n

l. The lcombination of a drive-shaft= a support in rigid connection with the shaft, a driven shaft, a gear fast on the drivenshaft., another gear normally loose on a stud of the support in mesh with the gear aforesaid, an air-compressor attached to said support and having its piston in pitman-connection with the gear on said stud, and a cut-olf for the compressor.

'2. The combination of a drive-shaft, a support in rigid connection-with the shaft, a driven-shaft, a gear fast on the drivenshaft, a plurality of gears normally loose on studs of the support at intervals of a circle and' in mesh with the gear aforesaid, air-compressors attached to said supportI and having their pistons in pitman-connection with the gears on said studs, a receiver also attached tothe aforesaid support in communication with the several compressors, and a cut-oil' controlling an outlet of support in rigid connection with the shaft,

a driven-shaft, a gear fast on the drivenshat, a plurality of gears'loose on studs of the support at intervals of a circle and in mesh with the gear aforesaid, air-compressors attached to said support at intervals of a circle and having their pistons in pitmanconnection with the gears on said studs, a receiver also attached tothe aforesaid support in communication with the several cornpressors, a casing in communication with the receiver, and a valve in the casing constituting a cut-oli'1 for an outlet port of same.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto setmy hand at Milwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

C. W7. DODGE, JR. Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, GEORGE FELBER. 

